Beginner's Tips #1 - Starter's Tip

Welcome to the Internet!   If you are here, then you are ON!  Also, if you are here, then you are looking to learn and that's what CAP Sites are all about!  If this site does not solve all your needs, please feel free to contact us; your comments are appreciated!

Starting Out

The very first misconception most people have to think that the Internet is like a really big book.  You've probably heard that the Internet is a Giant Encyclopedia, and has information about everything!  So you have naturally assumed that someone is in charge of gathering this information into a manageable format.  

Well, let's be blunt: the Internet is NOT AT ALL like a book!  You can't sit down one day and decide to read all the information on the Internet (or even one website) and expect the ideas to flow from one webpage to the next.   Instead, the information is grouped by topic, so that you can follow your own specific route through information that interests you, rather than taking the same route as everyone else in the world (much like a book).

Wait!  Did I say everything was "grouped by topic"?  Well then, here's the second big challenge of the Internet: noone seems to be able to agree on the "name" of their topic!  We're back to the "You say to-MAY-to, I say to-MAH-to", but now it's something like this:

You innocently ask your favourite Internet search engine to find you a "house", and it asks if you would like:
an apartment,
a condominium,
a one storey house,
a two storey house,
a split-level house,
a split-entry house,
a house to rent,
a house to buy,
a mortgage for your house,
a second mortgage for your house,
house plans and blueprints,
a house moved,
bird houses,
"house" music (similar to "Rap" music),
Columbia House Records,
the White House,
the US House of Representatives,
historic houses and museums,
house plants,
and much much much much more !

This "grouping by topic" of information on the Internet was once compared to a spider's web (hence the name "World Wide Web", from which we get the now infamous "www" prefix to most website addresses).  The reason this comparison stuck was that the documents in a website were linked to each other multiple times in various ways for different reasons. 

Usually, a webpage will begin by presenting a word or idea to you, the audience.   Then, if there is a link (called a "hyperlink"), you can choose to see more on that word or idea.  If you choose to see more, clicking with your mouse on the link will bring you to another webpage, hopefully containing the information you were expecting.  In this manner, it is common to understand almost all of the ideas presented in a website without ever viewing each entire webpage.

On a different note, you need to get REALLY comfortable with your mouse. Are you familiar with its movements? By now you will probably be aware of the symbol for your mouse on the screen (called a "cursor"). 

You might have also noticed that this "cursor" changes. Have you seen one of these? This hand-with-pointing-index-finger cursor appears when you are over a hyperlink.  (Commonly, people ask if a particular word or image is "click-able", rather than using the 'geek speek' of "hyperlink".)  Just clicking the mouse once when you see the hand cursor should be enough to cause your web browser to display the associated webpage (by moving to the address hidden in the "hyperlink").

Many hyperlinks are left in their "default" state (blue underlined text) which looks like this.  This makes it easy for everyone to see what text is click-able, and what isn't.  

However, most web authors now hide their hyperlinks in images (pictures, graphics, or bullets) or in text with another format.  Even plain old ordinary text can be a hyperlink.  For instance, the word HERE is click-able (and will take you to the top of this webpage).  Even though it doesn't  appear any different than the rest of the text in this paragraph, it is a valid hyperlink.  Due to this functionality, web authors trying to jazz up their web pages have tried everything from the simple to the bizarre.  Have you seen fast-moving advertisements at the top of a webpage that state "Catch the Monkey" or "Find the Marble"?  By clicking on the picture (even if you think you've missed the monkey or marble) you've clicked on a hyperlink to the advertiser's website.  Usually, advertisers messages are left to the top, bottom or sides of webpages, so if you're confused by what you see, look to the middle of the page to understand what webpage you are on.

Because of this lack of consistent style or function, you are often presented with either too few or too many links.  Therefore, you might as well have some fun with this: move the mouse all around - over pictures and words (especially if they seem unusual or different) - and see when the cursor changes from an arrow [] to a hand [].  

Comments

If this has been helpful, or if you think we've missed something, please send an e-mail to info@communityaccessprogram.com!   This website is constantly being updated, so your comments, concerns, and criticisms are always appreciated.

New to e-mail? Try our Tip #2: Starting E-mail.